Dendropanax morbifera Lev., which is a member of a Korea angelica tree, is an evergreen broad-leaved tree that never shed its leaves even during the winter, and grows naturally in the southern coastal area and Jeju-do, Korea, and when the bark of a tree is wounded, a yellow liquid resin is released, and called as Hwangchil ( a yellow dye).
Hwangchil has been used as a precious paint to give off a golden color for armor, helmet, and other metal jewelry of the emperor since the three kingdoms period and the collection period and intended use of Hwangchil are recorded in “Goryeosa-geolyo ()” of Korea dynasty and “Kye-rim-rye-sa ()”, “Kye-rim-ji ()”, and “Hae-dong-yeok-sa ()” of China and even before that, according to “Chae-bu-won-gu ()”, “Tong-jeon”, and the history books of Tang dynasty, there are records of which Hwangchil was regarded as a specialty of Baekje. In addition, there are some records that Hwangchil trees are effective in alleviation of fever, detoxification of alcohols, and treatment of eye diseases, jaundice, burn, and leprosy and they don't do any harm to human body (Yisijin, Compendium of Materia Medica, China mungwang books, 1590).
The technologies related to the conventional Dendropanax morbifera Lev. include Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-0004499, in which a Dendropanax morbifera extract with anti-cancer activity is described; Korean Patent Publication No. 2003-0079205, in which a Dendropanax morbifera extract, a Dendropanax morbifera fraction, and a pharmaceutical composition including them, which are effective in protecting hepatocyte, are described; Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-01077853, in which a Dendropanax morbifera extract inhibiting ethanol-induced hepatic damage is described; Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-0107852, in which a Dendropanax morbifera extract and fraction that are effective in skin whitening are described; Korean Patent Publication No. 2005-0036093, in which an UV-blocking cosmetic composition including sap of Dendropanax morbifera Lev. as an active ingredient is described; and Korean Patent Publication No. 2006-0131360, in which an extract of Dendropanax morbifera Lev.'s seeds having outstanding physiological activity is described.
To date, however, neither the molecular mechanisms of a Dendropanax morbifera extract involved in regulating the activity of 15-PGDH and PGE2 were identified nor were disease treatments based on such molecular mechanisms reported.
Thus, through a number of experiments, the inventors of the present invention identified that the hexane extract of Dendropanax morbifera leaf allows the level of PGE2 to be increased by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of 15-PGDH, and thereby it is effective against diseases associated with PGE2 such as wound and gastric ulcer, and the present invention was completed with the discovery of use of the Dendropanax morbifera extract to treat and prevent the diseases associated with PGE2.